Frustrating behaviour

[GSDOWNER]

Originally Posted by markies

Hi Hazel

I can see you are trying very hard to bring things under control. Before you go shelling loads of money out on consultations and training you need to get the very basic things right, which is your behaviour around your dog.

Dogs will not follow a leader who is not calm and assertive so if you are thinking what is going to happen will be bad then that is what your dog will pick up on and things will escalate from there. A dog senses the mood of a human without the need for words or eye contact so you must be self assured at all times. If you gave your dog to a good trainer, you would see an immediate improvement as they should have this calm assertive leadership quality that all dogs follow.

The other suggestion I can make is that you do not, if in fact you do, treat your dog any differently based on its previous life. If you do then it will play on this. Your dog lives in today for today and fortunately for dogs they do not carry around all there baggage like us humans do.

I wish you every success for the future.

Markies

*so glad you found this site where do I send your paycheck *

[Ailsa]

The other suggestion I can make is that you do not, if in fact you do, treat your dog any differently based on its previous life. If you do then it will play on this. Your dog lives in today for today and fortunately for dogs they do not carry around all there baggage like us humans do.

I keep reading this statement in various publications, but surely if this is so, why would dogs, particularly rescue dogs, have so many issues? I can't believe they are not remembering and responding to previous abuse or treatment?

[prae21]

I too look forward to hearing what advice you get from the trainer. You are an inspiration by the way and Brandy is a beauty!
Paula
x

[hmarraner]

I thought it was time for an update! I am pleased to say that we have made some progress with Brandy so far but we are a long way from being out of the woods yet!

We had our visit from Lynne Davies at the end of July and she suggested we make some immediate changes by "sacking" her from her role (as she saw it) as "potential pack leader"!

We were advised to purchase a crate for her to sleep and eat in. Her meals now are fed to her in the strong black kongs so that she has to utilise her brain in order to get the food out. She also wears a remote spray collar permanently and I wear the remote around my neck at all times so that I can interupt the barking/attacking the letterbox/jumping up behaviours etc immediately (the downside of this is that I look like "an OAP with a panic button round my neck in case I fall over" - I have had a few funny looks from delivery drivers and neighbours but as long as it works I don't really care! ).

I also have to make every walk a "training walk" and walk her on the gentle leader, getting her to sit and ignore cars/other dogs while stuffing treats down her mouth to reward her for ignoring the distraction. We still have a way to go to master this technique though!

On the whole, Brandy seems a lot calmer already and, after a shaky start where she didn't empty the kongs properly for the first few days, she now gets really excited when I make the kongs up and runs into her crate in anticipation! She has pretty much stopped barking at our neighbours when they pass in the car and even (mostly) when they walk past with her arch enemy, Yoshi!!!

We are really pleased with her progress so far but we still have a lot to do! We (myself, my husband and Brandy) are booked onto Lynne's residential course in September and I am certain that this will be the making of us - I feel that we need one-to-one experience in controlled situations, especially where other dog tolerance is concerned.

Brandy is a fantastic and intelligent dog and I KNOW that she will one day emerge as our perfect family pet!!!

Many thanks for everyones comments and support - it is much appreciated

Thats all for now - I will post again after our residential course in September.

Kind Regards,

Hazel

[prae21]

Thanks for the udate - I can't wait to hear more.

I went away recently for 10 days and left Henry with a good friend who came and house sat for us. What I didnt reaise is that she was totally wrong in her handling of him and I think she may even have been nervous of the big lump
When I got home he nearly knocked me flying - he obviously had plenty of food but I doubt not much exercise - she said walking henry was like leading a horse - he pulled and controlled the situ totally. Now I am back at stage one with a huge 'pup' trying to drag me around on the lead! Grr....not for long though!....as long as my arms and patience holds up we will be fine and I am back to neighbours grinning as I stop and start and turn circles every single time he leans on his lead. Walking is taking forever!!!


OH and he is off for his snip next week - maybe that will help (he is 7 months and very big).

Paula
x

[LOVEGSD]

Originally Posted by prae21

Thanks for the udate - I can't wait to hear more.

I went away recently for 10 days and left Henry with a good friend who came and house sat for us. What I didnt reaise is that she was totally wrong in her handling of him and I think she may even have been nervous of the big lump
When I got home he nearly knocked me flying - he obviously had plenty of food but I doubt not much exercise - she said walking henry was like leading a horse - he pulled and controlled the situ totally. Now I am back at stage one with a huge 'pup' trying to drag me around on the lead! Grr....not for long though!....as long as my arms and patience holds up we will be fine and I am back to neighbours grinning as I stop and start and turn circles every single time he leans on his lead. Walking is taking forever!!!


OH and he is off for his snip next week - maybe that will help (he is 7 months and very big).

Paula
x

Omg Paula, I can't believe little Henry is 7 months now!!!! Sounds like he's growing up into a big lad - post some pics!!

[LOVEGSD]

Originally Posted by hmarraner

I thought it was time for an update! I am pleased to say that we have made some progress with Brandy so far but we are a long way from being out of the woods yet!

We had our visit from Lynne Davies at the end of July and she suggested we make some immediate changes by "sacking" her from her role (as she saw it) as "potential pack leader"!

We were advised to purchase a crate for her to sleep and eat in. Her meals now are fed to her in the strong black kongs so that she has to utilise her brain in order to get the food out. She also wears a remote spray collar permanently and I wear the remote around my neck at all times so that I can interupt the barking/attacking the letterbox/jumping up behaviours etc immediately (the downside of this is that I look like "an OAP with a panic button round my neck in case I fall over" - I have had a few funny looks from delivery drivers and neighbours but as long as it works I don't really care! ).

I also have to make every walk a "training walk" and walk her on the gentle leader, getting her to sit and ignore cars/other dogs while stuffing treats down her mouth to reward her for ignoring the distraction. We still have a way to go to master this technique though!

On the whole, Brandy seems a lot calmer already and, after a shaky start where she didn't empty the kongs properly for the first few days, she now gets really excited when I make the kongs up and runs into her crate in anticipation! She has pretty much stopped barking at our neighbours when they pass in the car and even (mostly) when they walk past with her arch enemy, Yoshi!!!

We are really pleased with her progress so far but we still have a lot to do! We (myself, my husband and Brandy) are booked onto Lynne's residential course in September and I am certain that this will be the making of us - I feel that we need one-to-one experience in controlled situations, especially where other dog tolerance is concerned.

Brandy is a fantastic and intelligent dog and I KNOW that she will one day emerge as our perfect family pet!!!

Many thanks for everyones comments and support - it is much appreciated

Thats all for now - I will post again after our residential course in September.

Kind Regards,

Hazel

Hi Hazel

Thanks so much for the update and I can't wait to hear how Lynne Davis' course next month goes...good luck.

Lynn
x

[hmarraner]

Originally Posted by prae21

Thanks for the udate - I can't wait to hear more.

I went away recently for 10 days and left Henry with a good friend who came and house sat for us. What I didnt reaise is that she was totally wrong in her handling of him and I think she may even have been nervous of the big lump
When I got home he nearly knocked me flying - he obviously had plenty of food but I doubt not much exercise - she said walking henry was like leading a horse - he pulled and controlled the situ totally. Now I am back at stage one with a huge 'pup' trying to drag me around on the lead! Grr....not for long though!....as long as my arms and patience holds up we will be fine and I am back to neighbours grinning as I stop and start and turn circles every single time he leans on his lead. Walking is taking forever!!!


OH and he is off for his snip next week - maybe that will help (he is 7 months and very big).

Paula
x

What a nightmare!!!! I can really sympathise with the walking situation - and to have got it under control and then gone backwards again must be so frustrating.
We had a similar situation when we went away back in March, although I admit we hadn't made the sort of progress you had in the first place, but the little we had done was undone.
When we went away on holiday (leaving Brandy with my mum for a week) Brandy also displayed some separation anxiety (which she hadn't before) so we returned to some slightly chewed skirting boards and random items being selected from the utility room for her chewing pleasure!!!.......The worst one (and fortunately the last) was when she decided to play with a tub of Vanish in-wash powder - I came home from collecting my daughter from nursery to find the (holey) tub of stain remover on her bed . This was closely followed by the contents of her stomach being emptied on the kitchen floor.
A trip to the vet and £80 later she was (fortunately) no worse for the experience!..........don't worry, lesson learnt - nothing dangerous is left within (german shepherd) reach any more!!!

Good luck with your efforts!

Hazel

[prae21]

Ahaaa!! Henry is a skirting board nibbler too ! Does anyone know of spray repellants that work?

The past 2 days with Henry have been good. I find that walking around the garden with his lead on before we go out really helps settle him down.

I used to do this with horses before going out for a ride - just to take that excited edge off them.

I also make sure I am carrying his favourite ball when on the lead - as a distraction when he becomes a handful. So far so good....

x

[LOVEGSD]

Originally Posted by prae21

Ahaaa!! Henry is a skirting board nibbler too ! Does anyone know of spray repellants that work?

The past 2 days with Henry have been good. I find that walking around the garden with his lead on before we go out really helps settle him down.

I used to do this with horses before going out for a ride - just to take that excited edge off them.

I also make sure I am carrying his favourite ball when on the lead - as a distraction when he becomes a handful. So far so good....

x

I used a repellent spray for a Collie cross we were looking after, it was just a cheap one from Wilkinsons but it stopped him chewing anything - sorry I can't remember the name of it though.